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Services

We provide services on an hourly or fixed fee basis. Our clients include individual inventors, businesses, and other law firms that benefit from our specialized knowledge and experience. We provide free consultations on select days in person or over the phone. Please call us at +1.760.651.0137 or send an email to meetings@iciplaw.com to schedule an appointment.

Prosecution

Provisional Patents

A provisional patent gives an inventor a 1-year grace period to work on perfecting the invention, selling his/her idea, obtaining financing, etc. At the end of the one year period, the inventor needs to file a utility application to "save" the earlier filing date. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a provisional patent application start at $3,000.00.

Utility Patents

Utility patents protect the functionality of an idea. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a utility patent application start at $6,000.00. Generally, utility patents have a term of 20 years from the date of filing. Note that maintenance fees are due at approximately 3, 7, and 11 years after the patent has issued. In addition to preparing and filing the application, some of the additional services we provide are:

A. Prior Art Search This is an optional step, and applicants are welcome to perform their own searches. However, please realize that a patent filed without a prior art search is filed "blind" to other patents without knowing whether there are existing patents that may narrow your patent or even prevent you from getting one. While we generally do not perform prior art searches ourselves, we do analyze the results. Please contact us for more details.

B. Accelerated Utility Patent Application: Under this program, a "comprehensive" Prior Art Search is required, which can cost $3,000 or more. We can then submit the application under the United States Patent & Trademark Office's Accelerated Examination program, which has a goal of dealing with your application in one year or less. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing an accelerated utility patent application start at $12,000.00.

C. Office Action Response: More often than not, a utility patent application will receive at least one office action. An office action is a rejection, at least in part, of your application. An office action response can be used to make amendments to your application, argue the patentability of your application, and to correct procedural issues. Most simple mechanical, substance, or business method office action responses can be handled for a fixed fee. Please contact us for a more specific fixed fee quote for your office action.

D. Appeal: Unfortunately, an appeal may be an applicant's only route to obtain patent protection. It can involve a significant amount of time and energy to meet the procedural requirements in addition to overcoming the substantive rejections of the Examiner. Before filing an appeal, we often suggest at least on in-person interview to review the application one-on-one with the Examiner.

E. Interview: Applicants can request an interview with the examiner to discuss the rejection of the application. These range from informal discussions over the phone to in-person interviews with the Examiner and his or her Supervisor. We have found interviews to greatly reduce the time it takes to resolve issues with a particular patent application.

Design Patent

A design patent protects the ornamental features of an invention, such as the look and shape of a device. Design patents are particularly valuable where the function of an invention depends on its shapes. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a design patent application start at $900.00

International and Foreign Filings

Our services include foreign filings, such as PCT applications, Euro design patent applications, and national stage patent applications in a variety of countries. We associate with law firms around the globe to provide our clients with a wide range of national stage options. For more information on our international and foreign filing services, please contact us.

Trademarks.

A. Trademark Search. A trademark search looks for potential conflicting trademarks. We then advise our client of the likelihood of success in obtaining the desired name as a trademark.

Trademarks are filed in one or more classes. As with patents, an office action can be issued rejecting the trademark application. An office action response can be used to make amendments to your application, argue why the Trademark should be granted, and to correct procedural issues. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a trademark application start at $500.00

Trademarks need to be renewed between the 5th and 6th year, and every 10 years thereafter. You can also file a Statement of Incontestability which sets forth a claim that a mark registered on the Principal Register is now incontestable at this time.

Appeals, oppositions, and cancellations appear before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Each of these matters can have significant impacts on the trademark rights of the owner and should not be treated lightly. We provide representation for all of these matters, whether defending or invalidating the mark.

Strategy

IP Portfolio Management

Your intellectual property may be one of your most valuable assets; don't let it get stolen from you! ICIP can manage your domestic and international IP portfolios. From filing strategy to maintenance fee payment to litigation support, we can provide cost-effective services to help protect, maintain, and enforce your intellectual property.

IP Due Diligence

Purchasing or licensing a patent or patent application? Are you contemplating enforcing your IP against an infringer? We provide a wide range of IP due diligence services, from cursory to detailed reviews that meet your requirements and budget. Please contact us for more information.

Second Opinions

Let us give your IP portfolio a checkup. Many issues are easier to resolve if detected early on in the process. We can review all aspects of your IP portfolio, from specific intellectual property filings to your overall strategy.

Sales and Licensing

We can help you with all the steps of licensing, from drafting agreements to negotiations. As stated above, we also provide IP due diligence services, to provide a better frame of reference for the intellectual property's value and enforceability.